JILL PAINTER on NATIONAL SIGNING DAY: Announcements already seem to be known commodity

PASADENA - Valencia High safety Tedric Thompson was excited to announce where he'll play college football on live television on Fox Sports West, but there was little suspense Wednesday.

By about 8 a.m. - seven hours before his scheduled afternoon appearance on national signing day - his cousin called to tell him word already had leaked through social media that he was going to Colorado.

Even though he was disappointed everyone knew before the words came out of his mouth, he thought all the love was cool.

Signing day ain't what it used to be.

"It got out quickly," Thompson said. "People started messaging me and writing to me on Twitter early. I wanted to save it until now. I had a lot of friends congratulating me and telling me welcome to the family, so that was pretty tight."

Thompson was at the Fox set outside the entrance to the Rose Bowl, where he hopes he

can help struggling Colorado in a resurgence that has it playing in the Rose Bowl someday.

Nico Falah of St. John Bosco was dressed up in a sports jacket and slacks. He was wearing a USC sock on his right foot and a Washington sock on his left foot, but he didn't get to show off his wardrobe malfunction. The Trojans released the news before he could.

"I don't know how it got out," Falah said. "But everything happens for a reason. I was a little disappointed. It's a big deal, but it's OK."

Recruiting day is a very big deal, so much so that ESPN, Twitter, Facebook, school Web sites and scouting services were abuzz all day with decisions and rankings and analysis. ESPN cameras caught Mississippi's coaching staff reacting to news that the national jewel of the 2013 recruiting class, defensive end Robert Nkemdiche, chose Ole Miss.

Grown men were jumping up and down, which goes to show you how much hype and publicity and insanity exists on this day. The hype is on par with the NFL draft.

"I like the attention that's out there," Falah said. "People work hard for it and deserve it. There's a reason they're on TV."

Falah even sported a gargantuan watch for the occasion. He deemed himself a "style guy" and definitely was the best dressed of all recruits on TV on Wednesday.

As for the watch?

"It's fake," Falah said. "I just wore it to look good on TV."

He looked so tall and business-like in his jacket that Oaks Christian linebacker Cameron Judge - who chose UCLA - didn't even recognize him.

"I actually thought he was a grown man," Judge said.

Wonder if he will recognize him in cardinal and gold.

Fox Sports West had to roll with the punches Wednesday since its show aired at 3 p.m. locally.

"We noticed the last couple of years with Twitter's emergence and Facebook and social media that No. 1, the kids' themselves share information as soon as they fax their letters and No. 2, once the letter is received by the school, word gets out," said Shawn Kopelakis, coordinating producer for Fox Sports West.

"Our expectations have changed with the ceremony. A good majority of people aren't following that passionately, but of course you have your diehards. For our audience, it will still be exciting to have kids up there with the hats to make the selection and all the pomp and circumstance that comes along with it."

Kopelakis remembers when DeSean Jackson, now playing for the Philadelphia Eagles, chose Cal on the Fox show.

"He came into the studio and surprised everyone by picking Cal," Kopelakis said.

Gone are those days.

Much attention is paid to teenagers, but not all of it is positive. Often when an athlete changes his/her mind, some fans get upset.

Leave it to Katy (Texas) lineman Caleb Benenoch - who signed with UCLA's stellar recruiting class - to be the voice of reason.

"#Bruinnation let's remember to be classy no matter what any recruit decided to do. Don't be one of those guys who bashes 18yr old kids," he tweeted.

Keishawn Bierria, a Narbonne linebacker who chose Washington over Oregon State, isn't even on Twitter but he knows people were dissecting his decision because he searches for his name on Google.

Bierria got a good lesson in how fast news travels, too. Can't blame Bierria for doing an early morning announcement with his teammates at Narbonne, and he can't believe he expected people to stay quiet.

"They got me," Bierria said with a laugh. "I didn't think there would be as much coverage, but it's been a great experience. It's a blessing."

Bierria said he made his decision Tuesday night while thinking in his room and listening to music, and "Ball 4 Eva" by Ace Hood was on when he decided on Washington.

It was not long after that the world knew where he and seemingly everyone else was going, even if they wanted to make surprise announcements.

"I think it's cool," Judge said. "We all work so hard, and this is the payoff."